Vehicle turn signalling apparatuses with laser devices, light projection circuits, and related electromechanical actuators

• US 9,315,146 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bryce Benjamin Purks, Connor Kent Purks, Kory Patrick Purks
• Original Assignee: Bryce Benjamin Purks, Connor Kent Purks, Kory Patrick Purks
• Inventors: Purks, Kory Patrick, Purks, Bryce Benjamin, Purks, Connor Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgdorf, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/972,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130335212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/465, 340/466, 340/475
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body

Abstract

A vehicle turn signaling apparatus includes a light source that is powered by a turn signal circuit of the vehicle. The light source is configured to project a low divergence visible line onto a driving lane adjacent to the vehicle in response to activation of the turn signal circuit to visibly warn other drivers where a driver of the vehicle may intend to move the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle turn signaling apparatus comprising:

a laser light device configured to project a laser light beam of visible wavelength toward a road surface adjacent to the vehicle to visibly warn other drivers where a driver of the vehicle can intend to move the vehicle;

an ambient light sensor configured to output an ambient light brightness signal indicating brightness of ambient light at a location on the vehicle; and

a turn signal laser light projection activation circuit that receives a turn signal which indicates that the driver intends to move the vehicle to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and is configured to respond to the turn signal by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and to control the laser light device to increase length of a visible wavelength line extending along the road surface that is created by the laser light beam responsive to the ambient light brightness signal indicating a decrease in brightness of the ambient light to decrease the brightness perceived by a driver of an adjacent vehicle, and to decrease length of the visible wavelength line extending along the road surface that is created by the projected laser light beam responsive to the ambient light brightness signal indicating an increase in brightness of the ambient light to increase brightness perceived by a driver of an adjacent vehicle.

2. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is configured to prevent the laser light device from being powered-on while the ambient light brightness signal indicates that the brightness of the ambient light exceeds a threshold brightness level.

3. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the laser light device comprises a plurality of laser light sources; and

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to control a number of the laser light sources that are powered-on responsive to the ambient light brightness signal.

4. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the laser light device comprises a plurality of laser light sources that are spaced apart and connected to a support structure of the vehicle at different light beam output angles; and

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to supply power to individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources, and to control a rate at which individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources are repetitively cycled from off-to-on and/or cycled from on-to-off responsive to the ambient light brightness signal.

5. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to decrease a length of time for which individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources are maintained on during each repetitive cycle and/or increase a length of time for which individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources are maintained off during each repetitive cycle responsive to the ambient light brightness signal indicating a decrease in brightness of the ambient light to decrease the laser light beams'"'"' brightness perceived by a driver of an adjacent vehicle, and to increase a length of time for which individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources are maintained on during each repetitive cycle and/or decrease a length of time for which individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources are maintained off during each repetitive cycle responsive to the ambient light brightness signal indicating an increase in brightness of the ambient light to increase the laser light beams'"'"' brightness perceived by a driver of an adjacent vehicle.

6. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to:

respond to the turn signal while the vehicle is moving faster than a first threshold speed by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and

respond to the turn signal while the vehicle is moving slower than a second threshold speed by controlling the laser light device to prevent the laser light beam from being projected toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

7. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit further receives an object warning signal, which indicates that an object is detected in a path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is configured to;

respond to the turn signal during absence of the object warning signal indicating an object is in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and

respond to the turn signal while the object warning signal indicates an object is in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle by controlling the laser light device to prevent the laser light beam from being projected toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

8. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an object sensor circuit configured to output the object warning signal indicating that an object is detected in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

9. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to respond to the turn signal and during absence of the object warning signal indicating an object is in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle while the vehicle is moving faster than a first threshold speed by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle,

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to respond to the turn signal and during absence of the object warning signal indicating an object is in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle while the vehicle is moving slower than a second threshold speed by controlling the laser light device to prevent the laser light beam from being projected toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to respond to the turn signal while the object warning signal indicates an object is in the path of the laser light beam from the laser light device to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle and while the vehicle is moving faster than the first threshold speed by controlling the laser light device to prevent the laser light beam from being projected toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

10. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit controls length of the visible wavelength line extending along the road surface that is created by the laser light beam, responsive to the vehicle'"'"'s speed.

11. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the laser light device comprises at least two of the laser light sources,

wherein one of the laser light sources is mounted to a front portion of the vehicle and configured to project a visible wavelength line on the road surface adjacent to the front of the vehicle in response to the turn signal, and

wherein another one of the laser light sources is mounted to a rear portion of the vehicle and configured to project a visible wavelength line on the road surface adjacent to the rear of the vehicle in response to the turn signal.

12. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the laser light sources are configured to project visible wavelength lines that increase in width less than one inch as they extend as continuous lines for at least one foot on the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

13. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the laser light devices are configured to project visible wavelength lines that increase in width less than one inch as they extend as continuous lines for at least four feet on the road surface adjacent to the vehicle.

14. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the laser light device comprises a plurality of laser light sources that are spaced apart and connected to a support structure of the vehicle at different light beam output angles and that are configured to project visible wavelength lines on the road surface extending in directions away from the vehicle and spaced apart in a direction of travel of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a sequencer circuit that is configured to sequentially supply power to individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources to project a line pattern that appears to angularly sweep horizontally along a portion of the road surface.

16. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the laser light device comprises a plurality of laser light sources that are spaced apart and connected to a support structure of the vehicle at different light beam output angles and that are configured to project visible wavelength lines on the road surface extending in the direction of travel of the vehicle and spaced apart in a direction away from the vehicle.

17. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a sequencer circuit that is configured to sequentially supply power to individual ones of the plurality of laser light sources to project a line pattern that appears to sweep across a portion of the road surface in the direction away from and/or toward the vehicle.

18. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the laser light device comprises two laser light sources each mounted to opposite sides of the vehicle;

and

further comprising a turn signal stick that extends from a steering wheel column of the vehicle, wherein movement of the turn signal stick from an idle position to a first position activates one of two turn signal lights to flash light from a corresponding side of the vehicle, and movement of the turn signal stick from the first position to a second position activates one of the two laser light sources to project the visible wavelength line onto the road surface that is adjacent to the corresponding side of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the first threshold speed equals the second threshold speed.

21. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

at least one of the first and second threshold speeds is at least 2 miles per hour.

22. The vehicle turn signaling apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

at least one of the first and second threshold speeds is at least 5 miles per hour.

19. A vehicle turn signaling apparatus comprising:

a laser light device configured to project a laser light beam of visible wavelength toward a road surface adjacent to the vehicle to visibly warn other drivers where a driver of the vehicle can intend to move the vehicle;

an ambient light sensor configured to output an ambient light brightness signal indicating brightness of ambient light at a location on the vehicle;

a turn signal laser light projection activation circuit that receives a turn signal which indicates that the driver intends to move the vehicle to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and is configured to respond to the turn signal by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle; and

an actuator that repetitively moves the laser light device that reflects the projected laser light beam along a path to create a visible wavelength line extending along the road surface,

wherein the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to control a speed at which the actuator moves the laser light device responsive to the ambient light brightness signal.

23. A vehicle turn signaling apparatus comprising:

a laser light device configured to project a laser light beam of visible wavelength toward a road surface adjacent to the vehicle to visibly warn other drivers where a driver of the vehicle can intend to move the vehicle;

an ambient light sensor configured to output an ambient light brightness signal indicating brightness of ambient light at a location on the vehicle;

a turn signal laser light projection activation circuit that receives a turn signal which indicates that the driver intends to move the vehicle to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle, and is configured to respond to the turn signal by controlling the laser light device to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle; and

an actuator that repetitively moves a mirror that reflects the projected laser light beam along a path to create a visible wavelength line extending along the road surface,

wherein the turn signal laser light projection activation circuit is further configured to control a speed at which the actuator moves the mirror responsive to the ambient light brightness signal.